Wednesday, May 28, 2014

One of my favorite modern contemporary artists, Robert Mars, exhibited a stellar showing of American pop culture celebrating the icons of the 50's, 60's and today at DTR Modern Gallery in Soho last week. Many new pieces are displayed showing his latest use of neon lighting and more, new American icons, a show not to be missed!

Robert Mars

In this exhibit he also has a collaboration piece with artist Jay West. I recently held a studio interview with Mars, (link below), and learned all about his creative profess and how these larger than life brilliant pieces came to fruition. His images evoke a vintage quality of design and pay homage to the idealized age of growth and hopefulness that was prevalent in the USA at the end of the Depression. A time before the internet and mobile technology, where information was not instantly available to millions and there was no such thing as instant internet celebrities, and instead people lived with the myth of the unique, untouchable and unforgettable personalities of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Audrey Hepburn and Elvis Presley. Most recent images include Naomi Campbell, Martin Luther King, Basquiat, fashion models and my favorite consumerism piece of Louise Vuitton and a duo of skulls.By merging his own concept of personal idols with those of mainstream culture, Mars focuses on the Golden Age of American personalities. Artistically, he has always been fascinated with 1950’s and 60’s culture, and his early work reflects many of the architectural and mechanical icons from this era. Muscle cars, motels, logos and hulking monuments to the “modern” feeling of the time permeate his early canvases. Mars’ artwork has shifted toward the culture of celebrity and he is amazingly attuned to the fact that these instantly recognizable and larger-than-life personalities continue to resonate with contemporary American culture.

A graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York, Mars' eye for a distinct facet of American history is impeccable and his ability to manipulate the color and wordplay of vintage printed material has earned him reference with the likes of Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Richard Diebenkorn among other masters from the School of Pop.

Robert Mars and Julia Morris, Gallery Director in front of collage piece with Jay West (and below)

Mars, Morris and artist Jay West

Robert Mars’ artwork is exhibited worldwide including museum collections in Munich, Tokyo, Amsterdam, London, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Paris, Aspen and Naples. See the current showing at DTR Modern at 458 Broadway in Soho, NYC.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

You still have a few days to catch a fabulous installation exhibit at Porter Contemporary in Chelsea featuring the work of Jason Bryant entitled "Letters From Home." Please join the gallery for an artist talk and closing reception this Thursday, May 22, 2014 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Have a look at some of the works and the opening night event, if you didn't catch the opening, Thursday's event is a must for your evening!

"Letters from Home" is an exhibition two years in the making. Born from a moment of nostalgia digging and reading through letters from high school and college, Bryant set out to create paintings that explored ideas of love, hate, loss and survival. The full range of emotions people feel in their daily lives but amplified through painting. In order to express these feelings and thoughts, Bryant used the narrative of war to add a heightened sense of drama to the paintings. Without making the paintings political, he uses classic film imagery from war films such as "The Young lions " and "Suzy" creating dynamic cinematic paintings that both embrace and reject these ideas.

Artist Jason Bryant

In this exhibition, Bryant departs almost completely from his past signature obliteration of a character’s eyes or face. Here the images are much more confrontational and real and clear to the viewer who they are in full Hollywood posture. Without the use of any projector or grid system, Bryant draws the images in by freehand, further illustrating that although the paintings are elegant and refined, they will not be exactly like the source image, mirroring life. Effectively, Bryant displays our strive for perfection, but it is not possible, so we should embrace life’s differences, its struggles and make it as perfect as we can.

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Welcome to le blog where I document, report and write on street art, graffiti, contemporary and art / fashion mixes from New York City, NY. Join me as I visit the streets, walls and the galleries reporting on the latest art happenings in great depth.
If you are an graffiti or street artist with new walls going up and would like a feature please email me at valentestyle@gmail.com as soon in advance as possible. I will also document with my #instantartexposure photography project in full force - 15 months, 350 pics and counting - be a part of it!
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Visit my art site also at : www.leannavalenteart.com.